Device for protecting stores and the like against holdup men



Feb. 28, 1928. 1,660,773

J. THURY DEV ICE FOR PROTECTING STORES AND THE LIKE AGAINST HOLD-UP MENFiled May 12, 1927 0-4 32 Z3 Z7 2.9 t 5 Q a I a 5 7\ n79 [I l 3 1.6.: i/3 I I l I if l4 I 222 1 I6 'Ll LL41 INVENTUR BY I g. I

" ATTORNEY 5 Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

JOHN THURY, or

ev ce non rno'rno'rrne s'ron nsann TI-EE' LIKE AGAINST noLDur EN;

Application filed May 12,

The present invention relates to devices designed for protection againsthold-up men. q y f In a case of daylight robberies, the parties incharge of ab'usiness place are usually covered by" a revolver orotherweapon by one or more of the robbers, and commanded to hold up theirhands with the intention of preventing anyone fromsoun'ding an alarm oroffering resistance. It hasb ee'n proposed heretofore to equip businessplaces witha device whereby an alarm is sounded withoutthe use of oneshands. 'Thesedevices, however, have been found to be ineffective v 5 tothe extent that the hold-up man, warnedby the alarm, in most casesescape before outsiders come to the assistance of theparties in chargeof thebusiness place. 7

The main object of the present invention is to provide a device,wherebyftear-gas. is adapt-ed to be liberated, without the use of oneshands, in the room in which the holdup takes place, thereby preventingescape of the hold-up men.

Another object of the invention is to produce a device of the characterspecified, which is simple in construction, efiicient in operation,reliable in use, and which permits the employees of a business place towalk at: around and perform their usual work, but which may be quicklyactuatedv when the employees are surprised by a robber or burglar,without the latter suspecting it in the least degree. 7

lVith these and other objects in view, which will more fully appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists inthe combination, arrange ment, and construction of parts hereinafterdescribed, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, it being understood that many changes may be madein the size and proportion of the several parts and details ofconstruction within thescope of the appended claims, without departingfrom the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

One of the many possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which l Figure 1 is a vertical sectiontaken through a store, in which the improved protecting device isinstalled; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section taken through a housingcontaining a tear-gas bomb, the latter 1927; H Serial no. 190,814.

being shown; in elevation, the housing beingatta'ched't'o one of thecounters in the 1 store; and Fig. 31s a similar. section takenthrough amodified housing l providedwith store. 1

the walls of a store, to which access may be had through a door 11'.vAdjacent the Walls In the drawings, the numeral '10indicates a teargascontainer, the said housing belug-shown as attached to the ceiling oftheof the storeare provided service counters12,

only one of which'has been shown in the drawings. These elements havebeen 'described' forpurposes of illustration only, it

being obvious that the protecting device'is applicable to localities'ofany other type. The protecting device includes a housing 13, providedwith perforations 14. This housing-is attached in any suitable manner toone of the service counters. On the inner face of the bottom of thehousing are provided pointed projections 15, on which rests a container16 of fragile material, such .as glass,

saidcontainer being filled with a tear-gas. Above the containerissuspended within the housing a weight 17, provided with an eye'18 whichprojects above its top face, and

through the said eye is extended a horizontally disposed pin 19, whichprojects through a nipple 20 on the wall'of the housing. This nipple isexteriorlyscrew' threaded, as shown at 21, the said threads meshing withinterior threads of a sleeve 22, the outer end of which is closed, asshown at 23. The pinextends through the said sleeve and is providedwithin the latter with an enlargement 24;

Against this enlargement and against the closed end of the sleeve bearsa coil spring l 25, which has a tendency to project the pin 19' into thehousing 13. In this manner the weight- 17 is held in suspended positionabove the tear-gas container 16.

A little distance above the floor26 of the j store is attached totheback of the counter 12 a horizontally disposed bar 27 which extendssubstantially throughout the length of the counter, as shown in Fig.1 ofthe drawings. This bar is carried by a plurality of arms 28, which areoscillatably mounted in bearings-29 0n the back of the counter. To

one of the arms 28 is fixed a pin 30, to the latter being attacheda wire31, or like flexible means. guide sheaves 32 and is connected with thepin l9 above referred to. Thebar 27 isv held This wire runs over one ormore in its elevated position, shown in-Fig. 1 of .gas is liberated.

the drawings, by the spring 25 in the sleeve 22. or p I I When a personbehind the counter is held up by robbers, he depresses with one of hisfeet the bar 27, thereby disengaging the pin- 19 from the eye 18 or theweight 17. This weight drops thus onto the gas filled container l6,crushing the same so that the tear- The gas escapes through theperforations 1 1 intothe room, afieoting the persons therein so that thehold-up men are unable to' escape. NVith theinechanism herein describedis usually associated an alarm, callingthe attention of persons outsideof the store to the fact that-a hold up is taking place.

In addition to the device above described, there maybe mounted upon theceiling 33 of the'store a housing 34, which is open at its bottom.WViththis housing is associated a pin 19' of the character.above'described.

I his pin :isconnected by a wire 35, or like 'flexible means, with thepin 30 above referred to. In this instance, the gas filled container'16.isptovidedi with an eye 36, 1

through which the pin 19 i is extended. hen the bar 27 is depressed, thepin 19 is disengaged from the eye 36 of the gas filled container 16, thelatter dropping to the floor of the store, whereby it isbroken and thegas liberated.

The device shown in Fig.3 may be used independently of the device shownin Fig. 2, or the said two devices may be combined, as shown in Fig. 1of the drawings.

hat I claim is V a A device of the character described com prising ahousing open at its bottom,a

spring-pressed pin extending into said hous-v ing, a fragile gas-filledcontainer loosely mounted upon said pin within said housing,

and means for disengagingsaid pin from said JOHN .THURY.

